Dispel
by teno-hikari
Summary: Based on the 'Two Daddies' Story Arc - Muraki Ruka's peaceful world is suddenly torn apart and she must journey to the past to save her present.
1. First Meeting

Dispel

By: Teno Hikari

email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com 

* Disclaimers: All fictional characters belong to me ... I mean the ones I made up of course. All the YnM characters belong to .... um .... think brain, think!

* Summary: Based on the 'Two Daddies' Story Arc - Muraki Ruka's peaceful world is suddenly torn apart and she must journey to the past to save her present.

* Warning: violence ... not to gory but not for minors, and yaoi (m/m) pairings ... of course

------------------

'For your happiness, I would do it all over again ...'

The sound of shattering glass rang in her ears as she slowly regained consciousness. Fire ... fire blazed all around, burning away everything that ever meant anything, and left nothing but ash. Ashes, that was all she had left now ... along with her memories. If she didn't move soon, that same fire would consume her as well. Slowly, she tried to pull herself up from the floor and the movement caused her to cough blood onto the floor that was already covered with it. 

Her joints screamed at her when she tried to sit up. With a shaking and bleeding hand, she brushed a silver lock of hair from her face and violet eyes gazed through the fire in search for the exit. What they found was that menacing figure that had started it all ... and her lips twisted into a snarl. Angry tears spilled down her cheeks as she reached into the pocket of her pleated skirt and pulled out a rectangular piece of paper. 

She cast the barrier quickly to save herself from the blow for a few moments before a reinforced magic attack sent her slamming into the wall behind. The teenager let a cry escape her lips at the impact before sliding down the wall and onto the ground. There was a laugh and she could hear footsteps approach until ... 

"Ruka!" 

The sound of her name brought the girl to awareness and cold winds whipped around to extinguish the flames. Only the fires were gone for the moment and only the ashes remained along with her tears. A voice called out her name again and she felt arms quickly haul her up to her feet as another torrent of flames was being summoned. 

Her savior quickly pulled them behind a large slab of concrete, the remainder of her home as the foundation was still burning to the ground. Looking up she saw stormy blue eyes gaze down at her. Blue eyes which for once were not seen through lenses. 

"Un ... Uncle Tatsumi?" she whispered his name. 

He nodded and quickly pulled something from his worn brown suit and placed it into her blistered hands. "You have to go quickly, Ruka," he said hurriedly, glancing past their hiding place at the battle behind. "We'll cover you." 

"Go?" it hurt to speak as she glanced at the pocket watch in her hand. "Go where?" 

"Anywhere you wish," he told her. "Anywhere you will be safe." 

Before she could inquire further, he backed away as another familiar face rushed up to her. Along with a large white tiger with crimson eyes. The other man helped slip a backpack on her before pulling the girl into an embrace. 

"Ru-chan," the man spoke gently although tears glimmered in his golden eyes. "I'm so sorry ... please take care of yourself ..." 

"Wa ... Uncle Watari," she starred up at him in shock as he scooped her into his arms. He placed the silver-haired onto the large white cat and her eyes widened as she tried to struggle. "No-no! Don't send me away! Please!" 

"This is for the best, Ruka," said Tatsumi as he began to summon his shadows as the fires got closer. In the background, she could hear screaming.

"NO!" she yelled as Byakko refused to let her climb down. "Please, Uncle Tatsumi, please let me stay! Please!" 

The secretary bit back his own tears and starred at the white tiger, "I have selected a time for you both. Byakko, White Tiger God of West, protect your mistress at all costs... if we survive this ... we will summon you both back. Understand?" 

The tiger nodded before he took off with Ruka. The girl was tugging insistently on his fur as she kept looking back, trying to get him to stop. The fires were well behind them now ... so far behind that they looked like mere reddish blurs against the night sky. 

"Bya-chan!" she cried out again. "Where are we going?! Stop, please, stop! Uncle Tatsumi, Watari, and the other Shinigami ... we have to go back to help them!" 

Byakko continued to run, shutting out his mistress' command as they neared their destination. Finally he stopped, much to the girl's relief and starred at the sky as misty clouds began to part, slowing uncovering a full moon. Ruka blinked then followed the White Tiger God's gaze and looked up as well. Gasping, she looked at the pocket watch that had been clenched tightly in her hands, and noticed the top had opened as the hands of the watch began to move frantically. It kept spinning backwards, making Ruka dizzy until finally both hour and minute hand was on the twelve. The Roman numerals were no longer visible as an eerie blow glow filled her vision. The girl closed her eyes from getting blinded as that light intensified while Byakko stood patiently. 

Finally, neither light, girl and Shikigami were present. All that remained were the tiger's paw prints on the dirt, which were erased by a cool summer night's breeze. Above, the clouds covered the moon once again, blocking all light and leaving nothing but darkness. 

--------------------------

Chapter One: First Meeting 

--------------------------

The sound of birds chirping brought Ruka awake with a smile. What a horrible dream she just had and all she could remember was the inferno that burned everything she loved. But that was just a dream, something she would forget later as the day progressed. Yes, just a horrible nightmare that could easily be brushed away like a cobweb as soon as she got up and started her daily routine. 

A smile formed on her lips as she pictured it now: breakfast with her parents always cheered her up from these kinds of nightmares. She would tell them that she was going on another date with Ryu and then laugh at her dad who had a homicidal glare in his mismatched eyes. Then it was off to school where she loved baking in home economics, giggled with friends about boys, and dreaded chemistry with her boring thousand year old teacher. Okay he wasn't a thousand years old, she knew people who were that old and were a lot livelier than her chemistry teacher. 

So, she was ready to start a brand new day and the first sight she would welcome in was being inside her bedroom. She opened her violet eyes, looked around, and stopped smiling. Bolting up from the bed she was laying on, Ruka looked around wildly at this unfamiliar room. Slowly, she gazed down at herself to see she wasn't wearing her pajamas ... just an unfamiliar lavender yukata. There were also bandages around her hands and she couldn't remember why they were there ... 

'Where am I?' she wondered as she continued to look around saw nothing familiar in this place at all. 

The bedroom door opened and an elderly woman stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. She smiled gently at Ruka's shocked expression as she placed the tray on the bed in front of the girl. Continuing to smile, she sat down at the foot of the, reached for something on the floor and laid it on to the bed. Ruka blinked. It was the backpack Watari had placed around her they sent her away. 

"Please eat," the older woman spoke softly. She gestured to the tray of food that consisted of a bowl of mixed fresh fruit, another bowl of steaming oatmeal, a tall glass of milk, and some triangular slices of toast. "You'll need your strength if you want to get better, dear." 

The smell was making her stomach grumble and she quickly grabbed a spoon. Adding a little milk to cool the oatmeal down she helped herself to the fresh fruit. The sweet taste made her want to drool very much like her daddy did whenever she baked him a cake. As she continued to eat, the older woman waited patiently, still smiling with hands folded across her lap. After devouring the oatmeal, the fruit, and the toast, Ruka finished off her milk and sighed happily. 

The older woman chuckled as Ruka wiped her mouth with a napkin, "I knew that was what you needed to get better, dear. Would you like more?" 

"Oh, no ... I'm full!" Ruka bowed her head. "Thank you!" 

"My husband found you at the park near our home while he was walking the dog," she explained. "We were about to call the police but decided to wait until you awoke."

The teenager was relieved at that, because she didn't know what to tell the authorities since she could really believe it herself. She smiled and shook her head, "I got into a little accident on my way home from school. But I'm okay now! So please don't call the police ... I'm sure I must have worried my family enough for not coming home last night ..." 

"All right dear," the woman picked up the food tray and stood up. "There's a bathroom down the hallway if you want freshen up. Would you like me to call your parents?" 

"No, thank you," Ruka reached for her backpack. "I don't want to burden you further ... I'll just walk home and tell them myself." 

Relieved to see the older woman walk out, Ruka sighed. 'Real nice, Ru-chan,' she hissed to herself. 'Lying to a nice old woman like that ... what now? Start Kicking puppies and kittens?' 

She opened the backpack, and gasped, the blank expression of her face quickly faded away. Smiling widely, she reached inside and pulled out the familiar doll and hugged it to her chest. This antique doll had been her most beloved one since it had once belonged to her dad. Now, after the fire, it was the only thing she had left of him ... of them.

"Ronnie, thank goodness you didn't burn up like the others," she whispered as she brushed through the dolls golden locks of hair. Placing Veronica on her lap, she sifted through the bag and laid it's contents on the bed. A spare school uniform, a hair brush, and a picture frame. It was a picture of her and ... her parents. Unaware that she was crying she took the frame and held it close to her chest. 

"Dad ... daddy ...," she breathed as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I miss you both so much .... Why? Why can't this all be just a bad dream?" 

Fire ...

She remembered flames and burning corpses ... both human and Shinigami. Why did this have to happen right out of the blue? Why? Why? WHY?! 

"Dear ..."

Remembering where she was, Ruka quickly stuffed everything back into the bag but the clothes. As she began to wipe the tears from her face, the door opened and the older woman took in her puffy eyes with concern. 

"Is everything all right?" she asked. 

"Y-Yes," Ruka stammered. "Just got a little emotional ... is something wrong?" 

"Oh ... no," the woman smiled again quickly. "There's a nice young man outside who says he is ... your brother?" 

'Brother?!' 

Ruka blinked as a young man a few years older than her, stepped inside. He was tall, dressed in black and white rocker clothes, and had white spiky hair. She never saw anyone quite like him before ... wait .... red eyes? She blinked again before realization hit and nearly set her falling off the bed. 

"Bya ...." she began. "Bya-chan?!" 

The tiger God gave her a smile, barring fangs. 

"So you two do know each other," the old woman's smile widened. "Why don't I just leave you both alone. Give a shout if you need anything ..."

"Uh ...," Ruka stuttered, her eyes locked on her Shikigami. "O-Okay ... T-Thanks ..." 

The door once again closed shut and Byakko sighed before approaching her. "Feeling better, Ru-chan?" 

"Bya-chan!" the violet-eyed girl gasped as she got up to study him. "You're ... you're human!" 

"Yes, and I don't like it too much," he told her with a half pout. "I'm not use to walking on two paws." 

"Feet," Ruka corrected and giggled as she played with his soft spikes. "Wow ... you look ... really different. Cool ... but different. How come I haven't seen you in this form before?" 

"Well, as your Shikigami guardian, I had to remain in a form close to my original one," Byakko explained as he toyed with the collar around his neck. "My original form is a lot bigger than the one you're used to seeing me in. Besides, I don't think your father would approve of a man living in his daughter's bed room. At least not living anyway ..." 

Ruka winced and the Shikigami cursed himself, "I'm sorry, Ru-chan. We really have to go..." 

"Go?" she looked down at the backpack on the bed. "Go where? Where are we?" 

"Nagasaki," he answered and then pulled a pouch from his white trench coat and handed it to her.

"Nagasaki?" Ruka repeated. "Why are we in Nagasaki and not at Tokyo?" 

"I'll explain everything later," said the young man, his smile forgotten as he turned to head out. "Please get dressed, I'll meet you outside."

****

She thanked the elder couple and bid them farewell before following her 'brother'. They walked in complete silence for several moments. Side by side as they passed by unfamiliar stores and the girl wondered if her Shikigami knew where they were going. Looking up, she cleared her throat making the white-haired young man look at her. 

"My parents," she breathed. "They're dead ... both of them ..." 

"Yes," he whispered, bowing his head. "I'm so sorry." 

"How? Why?" why did it feel like she had just swallowed sand? 

"I'm afraid I do not know those answers," Byakko looked at her with sad crimson eyes. "Tatsumi simply told me to hide and protect you ... with this ..."

Ruka looked down and starred at that familiar pocket watch. She remembered light, the spinning watch hands hand, and the full moon ... but how was that supposed to protect ... wait. "You said we were in Nagasaki ...," she pointed out. "What time?" 

"We're twenty years in the past," Byakko answered her as he handed the watch over to his mistress. "Two years before you were born." 

She felt like fainting suddenly but the guardian's arms were already holding her steady. Dazed she remembered the pouch Byakko had given her and reached down to open it. 

"Watari gave it to me before we rescued you last night," he told her. 

Opening the pouch she pulled out a bundle of ofuda wrapped together with a piece of thread, a wad of folded papers, and a small plastic card that fell into her hand. A credit card? Why would Tatsumi give her a credit card? She placed it into her pocket and sat down at a nearby bench to read the folded papers. Byakko remained standing, looking around to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. 

"These are mission files," Ruka noticed upon skimming the documents. "They all involve the encounters Daddy and Uncle Hisoka had with Dad ... why did Uncle Tatsumi give them to me?" 

"We're in the past to hide from those people who murdered your parents in the future," said Byakko as he put on a pair of sunglasses as group of children starred at his red eyes. "And hope they don't come looking for us along with changing our history." 

"Those people," the violet-girl shuddered as she remembered dark figures standing among the flames. "Do you really think they'll come looking for me?" 

"I don't know, Ru-chan, I'm sorry," the Shikigami then nodded looked at the pocket watch. "From what Tatsumi told me, this time travel device is top secret in Ju-Oh Cho, a personal belonging to the Hakushaku ..." 

"Hakushaku?" Ruka faintly remembered the invisible man with the mask. Blinking, she absorbed the rest of the information and scanned the papers again. The first document on top was titled 'The Vampire Case' which had taken place in Nagasaki around ... Her eyes looked at the pocket watch and starred at the date that was written in tiny letters. "My parents ... they met here in Nagasaki? They ... they're meeting here today!" 

"Yes, and I think we should keep an eye on them each time they meet," he said, offering her a hand to stand up. "But we must not interfere for history's sake, do you understand Ru-chan?" 

She nodded and took his hand as hope surged through her. If she could save her parents here in the past, then there was a chance for her to save them in the future. Ruka smiled as she looked at the papers again before tucking them and the ofudas away. 

"Let's go."

****

An hour later, Ruka wished they could have called a cab because she was starting to get tired of walking. To her side, Byakko was humming to himself, hands in his pockets and looking straight ahead. She almost wanted to laugh as girls her age past them by, giving the Shikigami curious and admiring looks. Curious, she saw a big crowd not to far away ad stopped to look. 

"Ru-chan?" Byakko paused and looked back to see what his mistress was starring at. 

"Do you know what's going on over there?" she asked a passing group of teenagers before pointing to the crowd. 

"Over there?" a girl looked at the crowd and back at Ruka. "They're setting up for they're setting up the party before the Nagasaki Sea God Fair." 

Byakko and Ruka blinked, "Sea God Fair?" 

"You must be a tourist, right?"

"Yes..." 

As they parted, she could hear Byakko mutter sadly under his breath, "Why does Seiryu get a Fair, and not me?" 

She giggled and looped an arm around his, "Don't be like that. Plenty of people worship you! Remember when I was little, every weekend a month dad and daddy and I went to Kyoto to visit Uncle Oriya and Uncle Hisoka? Well, on one trip, Uncle Oriya took me to a shrine built in 1895, called Heian Jingu. It's scaled down as a replica of the Daigoku-den, you know the original capital. 

Anyway, there was this Chinese pavilion styled tower known as the Byakko-ro! And then, in the garden they have a Byako-ike, a pond surrounded by irises that come into full bloom in the summer, it was so pretty!" 

The white-haired man continued to have a mopey expression on his face as he mumbled, "The irises I can understand ... but a pond? I hate water..."

Ruka sighed and tightened her grip on his arm as they entered a park, "Now, now. If you stop moping, I'll buy you an ice cream with gummy worms."

"Ice cream is no substitution for worship, but ... it'll have to do," he said as his characteristic friendly smile returned. As soon as the smile appeared it quickly faded away as Byakko whirled and began to look around frantically.

"What is it?" she whispered. 

His crimson eyes darted to the right and narrowed, "I heard a scream not to far from here ... a man's scream ..."

"What?!" Ruka gasped, beginning to look horrified. "Was it ... daddy? Dad? Did we come to late?!" 

"Shhh...," he silenced her and quickly pulled Ruka underneath a shade of trees. 

A man dressed in a dark suit suddenly entered the park. Ruka's violet eyes widened and watered as she recognized that familiar face. The man had dark brown hair, warm colored skin, and violet eyes .... painfully familiar violet eyes. Byakko quickly pulled her away from starring to face him. 

"Be careful," he warned her. "You musn't look either of them in the eye ... remember your violet eyes are unnatural and will arouse their suspicion."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just that ... he looks exactly the same, the same as he did yesterday ... I couldn't help ..."

The God pulled her into an embrace, "I know, Ru-chan. I know ... but for history's sake we can't let them know who we are." 

The violet-eyed girl nodded and flushed as she was brought so close to his chest. Gazing up, she saw his crimson eyes move under the sun glasses. Her pulse quickened as she wanted so badly to look over her shoulder. "Is he ... is he gone?" 

"Yes," he said finally, releasing her from his grip. "He ran into that church over there." 

"A church ...?" her eyes widened. "That's where he's going to meet daddy! We have to follow him!" 

"All right ... just remember, we can't be seen." 

With that said, the two ran off in pursuit of the Shinigami. From behind, a young woman watched the teenagers before looking away. Red eyes quickly became brown once again, and Maria Wong, turned on her heel and left. 

****

"How embarrassing ..."

Ruka's heart hammered in her chest when she heard that voice. From their hiding place behind the wide open church doors, Byakko was able to see and hear everything clearly. His mistress remained at his side, silently listening to the conversation. 

"No ... not at all," replied the voice of Tsuzuki Asato. 

"Is there something you wanted to ask?" 

"Uh ... oh ..."

The girl held back a giggle at the sound of the Shinigami stuttering. It reminded her of how nervous he was and she could easily tell he was nervous now. 

"Did a girl come here? With long hair?" 

"No," answered Muraki Kazutaka. "I haven't seen anyone."

"Oh, I see... Thank you."

Byakko turned his head away as the sound of Tsuzuki's footsteps got closer. The Shinigami didn't noticed them as he left and Ruka was about to let out a sigh of relief until she heard another sound of foot steps ... and then another. Her Shikigami narrowed his eyes and quickly pulled them away from the church doors and onto the grassy hill on the side. She scrambled up to her feet as he gripped onto her wrist, yanking her to the side of the building. Before she could ask why, the doctor stepped out of the church ... followed by a pretty young woman with long brown hair. 

"More Shinigami, you say?" asked Muraki as he lighted up a cigarette.

"Yes, doctor," the woman answered in a dull monotone. 

"Not how I planned this, I had hoped Tsuzuki would be sent alone," the doctor took a drag of his cigarette before heading down the church steps. "Oh, well ... come, Maria."

"Yes, doctor."

Suddenly the two people were no longer there in front of the church and Byakko growled. He had forgotten that the pale warlock could teleport, which made it impossible to keep tabs on him. Ruka, knew this as well before looking up at him. 

"Bya-chan, what do we do if we can't follow? Especially daddy since he currently lives in Meifuu? Do you think those people can get there?" 

"I wish I knew, Ru-chan," The Shikigami sighed, raking his hand through white spikes. "Tsuzuki Asato ... I'm not worried about when he's in Meifuu. Other Shinigami are there and he has all twelve gods to protect him." 

Ruka wanted to point out that Shinigami in their time was slaughtered with ease but held her tongue. 'Positive,' she told herself. 'I need to think positive!' 

"What about dad?" she asked, brushing the grass of her skirt. 

"From what Suzaku and Touda had both told me, Muraki doesn't die easily," Byakko then nodded to the pouch in her hands. "We'll just have to work with information we have." 

The teenager nodded before she remembered the credit card in her pocket and smiled, "Ne, Bya-chan, are you hungry?" 

[ Author's Note ]

Like it? Hate it? Want me to hurry up and finish Devil's Thrill? Please review ... it'll get me to write a lot faster - promise!


	2. Guardian

Dispel  
  
By: Teno Hikari  
email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com   
  
* Disclaimers: All fictional characters belong to me ... I mean the ones I made up of course. All the YnM characters belong to .... um .... think brain, think!  
  
* Summary: Based on the 'Two Daddies' Story Arc - Muraki Ruka's peaceful world is suddenly torn apart and she must journey to the past to save her present.  
  
* Warning: violence ... not to gory but not for minors, and yaoi (m/m) pairings ... of course  
  
------------------  
  
  
Byakko wished he hands to cover his ears as the baby continued to wail. Instead he used his paws and tried to push his nose deeper into the rug he was laying on. Inside the nursery, his master was sitting in a rocking chair trying to calm down the screeching infant. Little Ruka was going to be his new master, and so far he wasn't liking the idea.  
  
"Now, now," Asato cooed to the crying girl and began to sing. "Hush little Ru-chan, don't say a word ... Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird ..."   
  
The baby began to calm down slightly but Byakko didn't move his paws from over his ears. The infant tried to tug on one of her daddy's bangs but Tsuzuki moved away and she began to shriek again.   
  
Wincing, he continued with the song, "And if that mockingbird makes you cry ... daddy's gonna bake you a mockingbird pie ..."   
  
A quiet laugh came from the doorway, making Asato look over to see Kazutaka. His husband stood there with a bottle of milk is hands and a smile on his face. The doctor stepped into the bedroom, unfazed by his daughter's shrieking, and handed the bottle to his beloved. The brunette sighed in relief as the infant stopped screaming and Byakko finally moved the paws from over his ears and starred up in disbelief.   
  
"Cute, Asato," Kazutaka murmured against the other man's ear. "Very cute."   
  
"If you think that's cute, you'll find my slaughtered version of 'Three Blind Mice' utterly adora..." Asato was cut off as Ruka spat milk in his face and giggled. Giggled. Asato twitched. Muraki laughed and stopped immediately as angry violet eyes glared at him.   
  
The silver-haired man took his giggling daughter into his arms while the Shinigami wiped his face with a dash towel before shaking his head. "She is so your child ... just know this ... we're only having one."   
  
"Of course, beloved," the doctor smiled as he cooed at the baby who reached out and grabbed his nose. "Ruka has a strong set of vocal cords, I think she got them from you."  
  
"That's just wonderful," Asato groaned, rubbing his temples.   
  
Kazutaka burped his daughter before finally setting her down in the crib. Ruka reached out with her tiny hands for the one thing she wanted dearly in the whole world ... he pacifier. The doctor smiled as he placed it in her mouth before kissing the baby girl on the forehead. Looking down at his feet the child's guardian was already sitting up.   
  
"Byakko," Asato stood up from the rocking chair and walked over to the white tiger. "Please look after her for a little while. Kazutaka and I will be downstairs having lunch."  
  
The God nodded his head and watch the two parents head out, closing the door behind them. Relieved at the peace and quiet, the tiger dropped back into his laying position and closed his eyes. A half an hour of peace goes by until something small hits his face ... followed by soft crying.   
  
Annoyed, Byakko opened once crimson eye and gazed at the pacifier laying across his nose. Why on Earth did Ruka toss out her pacifier only to cry for it again? Why did he have to have this job? Why not Suzaku who had more maternal instincts than any of their master's twelve Shikigami?   
  
The sound of those cries intensified and the God quickly sat up with the pacifier in his teeth then padded over to the crib. Carefully, he balanced his weight on his back paws and gently lowered the pacifier back into the infant's mouth. Ruka stopped crying immediately, earning a sigh of relief from Byakko relief as he dropped back onto the ground. Maybe this guardian job wasn't so bad hard after all.  
  
  
--------------------------  
  
Chapter Two: Guardian  
  
--------------------------  
  
  
  
Ruka yawned as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms. Rubbing her violet eyes, she looked over to the side of her motel bed and saw Byakko sleeping on the ground with a pillow and blanket. She wondered if it was uncomfortable for the Shikigami to sleep like that in his human form and had offered him space on the bed. But the tiger God refused the offer and was now curled up in a fetal position, muttering something about 'pacifiers'.   
  
The teenager swung her legs off the bed, stepped over the sleeping young man, and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. After that, she dressed back into the rest of school uniform and wondered if they could go shopping for clothes. She also wondered how long they planned to stay here in the past. How much money was on that credit card? Would they have to find jobs?   
  
Not that Ruka would have a problem with working but holding a job and trying to keep history together was going to be a challenge. Also, what if just being here affected her present? Byakko had told her not to worry about it so much, just keep a low profile.   
  
She sighed quietly as pulling Veronica into her arms and cradled the doll closely while studying the mission documents. Tomorrow night, Tsuzuki and his new partner Kurosaki Hisoka, will stop those vampire attacks caused by singer, Maria Wong. Tomorrow night, Hisoka would be kidnapped by Muraki ... and the next morning after that, her parents would become enemies.   
  
Her dad had never lied to her, and she knew how difficult it was to admit all those horrible crimes. What worried Ruka the most, was actually seeing how ... different ... he was in the past. If she could save, would she be able to look at her father the same way again? Her heart told her 'Yes' while her mind was giving off mixed answers. She wanted to say 'Yes' but what if she found his villainous acts unforgivable? Could she really close her eyes against them and pretend they didn't exist after witnessing them herself?  
  
'Stop it Ru-chan ... just concentrate on your mission right now.'  
  
Byakko mumbled something incoherent and Ruka brought a hand over her mouth to cover the giggles. Her stomach began to growl, demanding breakfast, and she groaned before reaching into the backpack and found her wallet. A part of her felt a little guilty for using Tatsumi's money, so she decided to spend whatever she had on her. Which wasn't much considering they had to pay cash for the hotel room for the next two days while they were in Nagasaki.   
  
After this, Ruka wasn't sure where they would go since Muraki and Tsuzuki wouldn't meet again until the Queen Camellia, and that was almost a month away. 'I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there,' the girl thought to herself as she silently tiptoed out of the hotel and closed the door behind her. The sun shined brightly that morning and so did her smile as she sprinted down the concrete steps and headed for the nearby restaurants ... hoping they served apple pie.   
  
After wandering around the area a bit, the teenager noticed most of the restaurants were full and she really wanted to find a nice quiet one with fewer people. About half an hour later, the silver-haired found a place to her liking since there was only one customer at the time. Pleased, she sat down at a table by the window, looked at the menu and waited for one of the waitresses to came by her table.   
  
"Hello, may I take your order?"   
  
"A slice apple pie, please," Ruka smiled, folding the menu back. "With a cup of hot chocolate."   
  
The waitress blinked as she looked up from her notepad and Ruka wondered if she had something on her face. Realizing she was starring, the waitress quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry, it's just you ordered the same exact thing as the other customer ... I'll be right back with your order ..."  
  
'The same exact thing?' the violet-eyed girl wondered. 'Who else loved eating apple pie and hot chocolate for breakfast?'   
  
"Hi there," said a friendly voice from the table behind her. "I guess I'm not the only one."   
  
Ruka flinched inwardly as her pulse began to race. Slowly, she turned to meet those painfully familiar smiling amethyst eyes and cursed her luck. 'Of all the restaurants in Nagasaki, you have to go to the one where he's at and order the same thing!'   
  
Quickly, the girl closed her eyes and smiled at him, "Good morning!"   
  
"Good morning," Tsuzuki Asato returned her smile.   
  
Her heart was beating so loudly, she wondered if he could hear it even with the short distance between them. The Shinigami then turned away and continued to eat ... as the stack of plates grew taller. Ruka sweat dropped as he happily cut the next piece then popped it into his mouth before giving a satisfied and happy sigh. 'Some things really don't change.'  
  
  
***  
  
  
The White Tiger God of the West, awoke with a pain in his back on the floor. Groaning, he slowly opened his crimson eyes and winced as he was assaulted by sunlight. Turning over on his other side, away from the offending rays, he yawned and stretched his limbs as if he were back in his feline form.   
  
'Human bodies are uncomfortable to sleep in on the floor,' he noted. 'Especially this floor ... maybe next time I'll try the bathtub.'   
  
Sitting up, the young man ran his hand through his spiky white hair before looking over to the bed, expecting to see his mistress. She wasn't there ... how odd. He leapt to his feet and checked the bathroom, no Ru-chan. Very odd ... and very bad. Running back to the bedroom, she noticed their belongings were still there, and Ruka would never leave Veronica behind. Veronica ... the antique doll was sitting on top of the made bed with a note in her lap.   
  
Curious, Byakko plucked the note from the doll and began to read Ruka's cursive handwriting: 'Went out for breakfast, will be back soon - love, Ru-chan.'   
  
He bared his fangs as he began to shrug into his coat and put his boots back on. The girl was his top priority and now she was gone. Didn't she know that there were people after her? People who probably wanted to kill her? Not only that, what if she ran into trouble? What if she ran into one of her parents? What if, ... what if ...   
  
The tiger growled as he marched himself down the steps, getting some frightened looks from the other hotel occupants. Shrugging hands into his pockets, he pulled on his sunglasses and headed for the restaurants across the street. That girl was going to be the death of the God one day ... and Byakko swear to himself that if he survived, he was never having children of his own.  
  
***  
  
The two waitresses, starred at their only two customers who had ordered the same thing and were both eating in a similar fashion. Ruka couldn't help herself, she had inherited her daddy's sweet tooth - fangs, were more appropriate - and apple pie had been one of their favorites. A smile twisted on her lips as she remembered her dad was constantly taking her to the dentist and made sure she brushed and flossed right after their meals ... and sometimes before.   
  
'Kazutaka, you're making a big deal out of this,' she had remembered her daddy saying, while they were eating cake and ice cream. 'Besides, Ru-chan has baby teeth ... which she will lose even if they are cavity free.'   
  
This had not pleased her father, and Ruka smiled at the memory because it was the first time she had seen them bicker. She was beginning to feel happy again as she ate with her daddy's past self. It was the same as eating together as a family, but it was close enough. Finishing up her pie, she ordered another one to go for her sleeping Shikigami and was glad to know she had money left over.   
  
She nearly gawked when Tsuzuki's order had come up to 4500 yen. It was enough to feed four people ... where in the world did it all go? Ruka also wondered if her daddy's pay check had simply gone into feeding himself desserts ... which she didn't doubt.   
  
A woman's cry shook her out of her reverie and Tsuzuki took off quickly, leaving his receipt. Turning back to the waitress, Ruka kindly offered to take it to him, in truth she just wanted to follow. The teenager took after she left the restaurant and took a shortcut by rooftop hoping.   
  
Arriving at the scene the same time as the Shinigami, she noticed a strange green bat like creature flying away. Bats? During the day time? Her violet eyes narrowed from her perch and wondered if Muraki was involved in this.   
  
Sure enough, a tall man with silver hair and dressed in white, appeared in the small gathering crowd. Tsuzuki was checking the side of a neck belonging to a little girl who had fainted. A look of relief spread across the Shinigami's features before he looked up at the mother and told her something. All the while, the man in white appeared before them, making Tsuzuki turned to face him. Eyes locked on to each other, Ruka wished she was closer so she could hear what they were saying.   
  
But already they were moving from the crowd and Ruka slowly began to follow. Not far from here, they took the girl over to a rest house. As her eyes followed Muraki and the mother taking the little girl inside, she was a bit relieved to see that the Shinigami remained outside to wait.   
  
The brunette had a waiting and worried expression on his face as she slowly approached him. Hearing her footsteps, Tsuzuki looked up and was a bit startled to see her standing before him. Slowly he smiled at her, and she longed to just throw herself into those familiar arms. But it took willpower alone just to smile back and hand him his receipt.   
  
"You ... you left this back at the restaurant," she said hesitantly, not making eye contact.   
  
His small smile widened, "Thank you, very much."  
  
The violet-eyed girl wondered how foolish she looked now. He probably thought she was just some silly girl stalking him. 'Quick, change subject!'  
  
"So," Ruka then nodded towards the house. "Is she going to be all right?"   
  
"I hope so, a doctor is with her now ..." Tsuzuki began as the doctor walked back outside.  
  
Swallowing hard, she did her best not to stare as she saw her father wipe his glasses on a handkerchief. It was just weird ... all three of them were so close in her present ... but now ... now, they were all strangers to one another.   
  
"Doctor?" Tsuzuki asked anxiously as he stood up from the bench.  
  
"She's alright," the doctor assured him. "She regained consciousness."   
  
"That's good to hear," the brunette sighed as he brought his hand to his heart. Ruka allowed herself to smile slightly at his concern.   
  
"I told them to perform a close examination on her," the silver-haired man said as he placed on his glasses and turned to face them both. His eyes momentarily flickered on Ruka, a little surprised before they settled on Tsuzuki. "You were that man from yesterday ... where are my manners ..."   
  
A smile appeared on his pale face before he held out his hand for the other to shake, "My name is Muraki Kazutaka ..."   
  
The Shinigami starred at the offered hand before he took it, "Ah, Tsuzuki Asato."   
  
Was it just her, or did their handshake last up to fifteen seconds? Slowly, Tsuzuki pulled his hand back and the doctor seemed reluctant to let go before he turned to face her. Blood pounding in her ears, she resisted the urge to swallow as the doctor smiled down at her.   
  
"And what's your name?" he asked politely, his single silver eye widened slightly to take in her violet orbs.   
  
"Mura...," she swear inside her head for almost letting her last name slip. "Murasaki Ruka."   
  
She swear again, 'Dammit, Ru-chan! Just draw more attention to yourself with 'purple' as your last name so they can say how well it suits your unnatural purple eyes ... Bya-chan's going to kill me before those people get the chance."   
  
Ruka quickly bowed her head before smiling in return, "Please to meet you, I better get going ... my brother is probably looking for me."  
  
Tsuzuki smiled as she turned to walk away before calling, "Thanks again, Ruka!"   
  
The teenager stopped herself from flinching as she quickly ran off to hide behind another house. 'Ruka' her daddy had called her ... not 'Ru-chan' .... it was to weird ... and to wrong. She shouldn't have left Byakko, and followed Tsuzuki. She shouldn't have spoke to either him or her other parent. How much was history going to change because of this incident?   
  
Groaning, she leaned against a wall and Ruka waited for them to part as she remembered the mission report. She couldn't afford to take her eyes off Tsuzuki now to get Byakko ... just in case anything happened, she still had her ofudas with her. Just in case ...   
  
  
***  
  
  
Byakko cursed as he wandered around the crowded streets of Nagasaki, wondering where the hell Ruka was. It was almost evening, hours since she had left that morning. So he kept wandering around, returning every hour to hotel to see if she was there ... but she wasn't. The tiger God had never been so worried as his red eyes scanned through the crowds of people who were still preparing for that Sea God Fair event.   
  
[ "Byakko, White Tiger God of West, protect your mistress at all costs... if we survive this ... we will summon you both back. Understand?" ]  
  
The stern voice of the Hades Agency's Secretary, echoed in his ears and Byakko could see the furious look on his face if he realized that his departed friend's daughter was missing. But that was one thing, another was the shame. If he couldn't protect his master, then what? Was there really a life for him without Ru-chan?   
  
'No,' he answered as he continued to wander. 'If she dies ... if I fail to protect her ... then there truly is no meaning for my existence. I've been her guardian since birth. I've never failed in my duty then ... and won't start now!'   
  
  
***  
  
  
'Finally,' Ruka breathed as she watched the Shinigami turn and walk away. It was getting late and the sun was about to set, Byakko must be worried sick by now. As soon as she lost sight of the Doctor, the teenager headed towards the path Tsuzuki had taken since the hotel was back in that direction.   
  
It was a mistake to make sure he was gone. As soon as she past the small house, soft laughter caught her ear. A shiver ran down the girl's spine because she knew that laugh. She had played 'hide and go seek' with her dad enough times to know that was the laugh he made when he knew where she was. But the laugh this time did not belong to her father ... no it belonged to a totally different person, a killer.   
  
Turning back, she gasped and her eyes widened in horror to see Doctor Muraki leaning against the same house she was behind. He had been waiting for her ... and she didn't want this kind attention ... not from him. Taking a deep breath, she uncurled her fingers and waited for him to make the first move. Hope that he would simply walk away, went with the wind as he stood up straight and took a step toward her.   
  
"Good little girls shouldn't spy," he said, smiling at her. But it wasn't the kind friendly one she had gotten earlier that day. No, the smile he was giving her now, was one that belonged to a predator. "It's rude."   
  
"Making children faint in public isn't exactly nice, doctor," she pointed out, glad her voice remained steady. It was the first time Ruka had ever used this tone of voice on her dad ... her daddy yes, but that was over a last piece of cake. 'He's not you father, Ru-chan ... not yet. Idiot ... why did you have to say that? Now he's even more curious!'   
  
The doctor's smile widened, "Very clever, Ruka ... you manage to see through my facade when even Tsuzuki, the top of Ju-Oh Cho, could not. You Shinigami surprise me."   
  
'Shinigami?' Ruka blinked. 'He thinks I'm a Shinigami? Oh, great mess you've got yourself into!'   
  
"I'm not ...," she began, then stopped. There was no point in telling him otherwise since he probably just wanted to kill her.   
  
Muraki caught the slip and smiled, "So you're not a Shinigami, well then that just changes things. Here, I just wanted to talk to you about your lovely violet eyes ... and now ... I think I want you dead."   
  
'Dammit!' Ruka cursed as she slipped a hand into her pocket, clutching several ofudas tightly. She leapt back until she was at a safe distance before drawing the rectangular pieces of paper out. This man was the last person she thought she would be protecting herself against. Muraki caught sight of her wards and looked thoughtful.   
  
"Full of surprises, aren't you?" The doctor then held up his hand and snapped his fingers twice.   
  
Ruka starred at him, confused at first until she heard the sound of wings and quickly cast a barrier around herself. As bats, similar to the one she saw earlier, launched themselves at her. Violet-eyes narrowed as she thought up another counter attack, while watching those creatures slam and disintegrate against her shields.   
  
'If I survive this, I'm going to need stronger wards ... maybe ones with the Thunder Script ... or is celestial calligraphy too much? Several of those are going to be murder on Tatsumi's credit card ...'   
  
The kekkai's standing duration was running out and with her hand she held three other paper charms between her fingers. With the flick of her wrist, she sent the first one to incinerate the creatures behind her to prevent a back attack once the shield went down. The second cleared the bats between her and Muraki ... and the red ofuda, which she was hesitant to use, went straight for the warlock himself.   
  
The doctor brought his hand up to cast his own shield, much to Ruka's relief. Instead of her charm causing near fatal damage in one place, it shattered like glass against the barrier and did damage in several other places. Not fatal, but Muraki's smile was replaced with an annoyed glare as blood dripped down his hands.   
  
"I think," the pale man said slowly, brushing his hair out of his face so she could see his mismatched eyes. "I'll stop playing now."  
  
The teenager didn't like the sound of that as she stepped back and noticed that night had come. With it, the winds got cooler, make Ruka shiver as she tried to keep her fingers from trembling as they grasped more wards. The doctor made a gesture with his hand and a pentagram made of fire burned on the ground ... followed by an intense light that made the girl wince.  
  
The golden light died down and she swallowed hard as a three-headed griffin glared at her with menacing eyes. It's wings raised and flapped forward, sending a strong gush of air to knock Ruka off her feet. Crying out as she hit the concrete, the paper charms slipped from her fingers and fluttered away in the breeze.   
  
Turning onto her side she quickly moved out of the way from the creature's razor sharp talons before rolling to her feet. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her three remaining ofudas and launched them at the monster's three heads.   
  
"Moeru!" she cried out as the ofudas burst into flames before all six of the creature's eyes, blinding it temporarily.   
  
Leaping back from one swiping talon, Ruka howled in pain as another slashed at her thigh, drawing blood. The girl was sent slamming back onto the ground and it wasn't long before the thing regained it's sight. From behind, the doctor was chuckling softly, hands stuffed into his pockets.  
  
"You put up quite a fight ... little girl," Muraki smiled at her as the creature advanced to her wounded body. "But I'm afraid it was in vain."   
  
'My father is going to kill me,' she thought bitterly to herself as she tried to crawl back. 'How ironic ... since I came here to save both him and daddy ...'   
  
Swallowing hard, her fearful violet eyes watched as sharp claws lunged forward. Blood splattered on her torso and Ruka only starred in disbelief. Her mouth opened silently to whisper his name ... before screaming it.  
  
"BYA-CHAN!"  
  
The White Tiger God, stood in his original form, growling in pain and anger as the creature's talons clawed into his shoulder. The monster let out a shriek of agony as the God dug his teeth in it's throat, tearing it wide open. Leaping back into a crouch as the creature staggered backwards, the tiger turned to Ruka with calm crimson eyes.  
  
"Ruka, get on," Byakko ordered as he lowered himself to the ground level.   
  
Wincing in pain, she obliged and quickly climbed onto his back. Once she was on top, the Shikigami quickly rose back to his full night, nearly throwing her off him. "Hold on tight."  
  
She obeyed and a whirlwind from nowhere came forth and surrounded the two. The air whipped so fast around them, she could no longer see nor hear the creature or Muraki, only white howling noise. Clutching tightly on to his fur, the girl ignored the screaming wind in her ears as Byakko took off running.   
  
***  
  
Ruka didn't remember passing out when they finally arrived back at the hotel. But when she woke the next morning, the Tiger God in his human form was sitting beside her and still awake. Shameful tears burned in her violet eyes as she curled up into a ball, her bandaged wounds screamed because of the movement.  
  
"I ... I'm sorry ...," she choked out, her hands covering her face. "Bya-chan ... you got hurt because of me ... I'm so sorry ..."   
  
The young man sighed as he tried to pull her hands away so he could look her in the eye. Giving her a warm smile, he pat his shoulder, "See? Good as new. So, please stop crying... I can't stand to see you cry."   
  
"I'm sorry," Ruka whispered, trying to dry her tears. "I've been nothing but trouble for you, haven't I?"   
  
"What?" The God gave her a look of confusion. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I know you never wanted to be my baby-sitter," she spoke quietly. "I never knew why daddy wanted his God of War to be my guardian ... and I'm sorry I was such a burden to you..."   
  
"Ruka dear," Byakko said in a stern voice, almost mocking her dad in the future. "You are not a burden to me, nor are you a baby in my eyes. My former master made me your guardian because he trusted me ... now that I realize, it was the greatest honor of my life."  
  
"Bya-chan ..." Ruka whispered but he silenced her.   
  
"Let me finish my prattling, Ru-chan," Byakko smiled then looked serious once again. "You are master now, Muraki Ruka ... and I don't regret it. The way you fought last night, standing up to that man, must have been agonizing ... and I wish I could have protected you from ... but I am very proud ... and honored to be your Shikigami."   
  
"Bya-chan ..."  
  
"But ..."  
  
The girl blinked as the tiger's tone changed once again.   
  
"But," he repeated. "IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, I SWEAR I WILL CARRY YOU AROUND IN MY TEETH LIKE A MOTHER CAT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"   
  
Ears ringing, she nodded quickly and Byakko's furious face became friendly once more.   
  
"Great! Now, where's my breakfast?"   
  
Ruka sweat dropped.  
  
  
  
[ Author's Note ]  
  
Like it? Hate it? R/R PLEASE!  
  
Feedback responses ...  
  
Pandora - Both Devil's Thrill part 11 and Chapter 2 of Dispel is up, so now you're torn between the two.   
  
Crashed_crusade - I can't help but write so many stories since I get to many ideas in my head ... and they all gotta go somewhere. To answer your question (I think it was a question) ... No, this doesn't branch off 'Devil's Thrill' ... it could ... but it doesn't.   
  
Jam - I will, I have ^_^  
  
Eike - You got it, thanks for reviewing ^_~  
  
  
  
  



	3. Duet

Dispel  
  
By: Teno Hikari  
email: teno_hikari@yahoo.com / tenohikari@cs.com   
Last Revised: April 29, 2002 - 11:35PM  
  
* Disclaimers: All fictional characters belong to me ... I mean the ones I made up of course. All the YnM characters belong to .... um .... think brain, think!  
  
* Summary: Based on the 'Two Daddies' Story Arc - Muraki Ruka's peaceful world is suddenly torn apart and she must journey to the past to save her present.  
  
* Warning: violence ... not to gory but not for minors, and yaoi (m/m) pairings ... of course  
  
------------------  
  
  
"I woke-and chid my fingers ... the gem was gone in my hands ... and now,  
an Amethyst remembrance is all I own ..."   
  
Byakko turned his head from where he lay on the bed watching television, towards Ruka who emerged out of the bathroom. The girl smiled and whirled around, showing off her new sleeveless lavender dress that exposed a little to much of her bare back. Byakko blushed slightly and wondered what the Muraki Kazutaka in their time would think if he saw his only daughter wear something like that.   
  
"What do you think?" Ruka asked as she combed her hair, pinning locks in place with matching lavender barrettes.   
  
"I think you should have bought a sweater," said the Tiger God. "It's going to be chilly tonight."   
  
"If I need one," she said and sat down on the side of the bed and began to apply a little make up. Closing her compact, she smiled and looked back at him. "Now, what do you think?"  
  
"I still think you should buy a sweater..."  
  
"Bya-chan..."   
  
"That song you were singing," Byakko sat up in bed and switched off the television. "It's been awhile since I last heard you sing it."   
  
"Well, it is an old song," she said, checking her reflection in the hotel mirror. "But still my favorite. You know both my parents knew the singer."  
  
"Of course," the young man held up the mission reports. "She is the vampire killer that Asato and Hisoka are hunting now."   
  
"I wish I could meet her," Ruka sighed sadly. "That poor woman ... I'm just glad we can go see her in concert tonight."   
  
"Remember to keep your distance," warned Byakko. "She's still being controlled by Muraki."  
  
"I know ... maybe after the concert it would be all right," smiled the violet-eyed girl. "I can't see the harm in it ... after all, she does return back to the land of the dead tonight."   
  
Byakko looked away as he stood up and put his long coat on, "If that's what you want, Ru-chan."  
  
The teenager blinked as she watched him put his boots on, "What's with the sad tone?"   
  
He shook his head, "Nothing."  
  
"Bya-chan?"   
  
"I just don't want to see you get hurt," said the Shikigami as he met her amethyst gaze. "How will you react when you have to say good-bye?"   
  
Ruka gave him a small smile as slipped her bare feet into white sandals. "So, that's what you're worried about? Then don't ... Maria is already dead ... and I'll be happy she can finally rest. I just want to meet her ... tell her sorry I am ... because of what dad did to her."  
  
"I understand," he said softly after he finished dressing and held the door open for her. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Mmmm-hmm," the girl murmured as she picked up Veronica and placed the doll inside her new bag. "We're ready!"   
  
"You're taking it with us?" asked the young man, starring at the doll's head from the top of the bag. The doll, of course, was wearing a matching sun dress to the one Ruka had on.   
  
"'Her'," Ruka corrected. "And 'her; name is Veronica ... or Ronnie, and yes I want to take her sightseeing with us. Besides, she'll be lonely by herself."   
  
"Ru-chan," Byakko blinked. "It ... She's a doll."  
  
"Dolls have feelings," the girl pointed out to him. "Just because they don't express emotions, doesn't mean they don't feel them."  
  
"Uh...," the tiger God looked nervously at the antique doll before nodding. "If you say so, Ru-chan."  
  
"I do," she nodded before looping her arm around his. "Now let's go!"   
  
  
--------------------------  
  
Chapter Three: Duet  
  
--------------------------  
  
  
The Tiger God starred warily as his mistress was happily prancing around Nagasaki, pointing and taking pictures of famous land marks. Laughing and smiling the whole time, as if nearly being murdered by her own father the other night had never happened. As if her parents' deaths and being ripped away from the world she had once known, never took place. No, there was no sorrow nor grief in her eyes. It was always that cheerfully happy smile she had inherited from Tsuzuki Asato, along with those violet orbs.   
  
Byakko just hoped that living in the past would not crush the girl's dreams for the future. He personally did not like Muraki Kazutaka because of the man he had once been, but had come to respect him as they lived together. The tiger prayed the killer now wouldn't try to harm his future daughter further ... the physical injuries Ruka could heal from, but the mental ones were another story.   
  
'And if he does try to harm her again ... what can I do to stop him?' he frowned. 'Other than kill him.'  
  
Not good. He couldn't kill the doctor because he would be killing Ruka ... and he would no sooner rip his own heart out. So, his only option was to keep the girl away from both the Shinigami and the homicidal maniac with the MD. How ironic ... protecting her from the people whom she loved the most. The two men who loved her dearly in their time could destroy her if they new the truth.   
  
"Bya-chan!" Ruka waved to him as she neared an ice cream stand. "How many scoops?"   
  
He held up three out of the five fingers on his hand and watched as she paid for the desserts and headed back over to him, licking at her ice cream cone. He took the cone in his hand and carefully balanced it as he ate ... at least he could hold one now, in his other form it had been impossible. Smiling as he finished the first scoop, he was having trouble with the other two since they were now melting and dripping down his arm.   
  
Ruka laughed as she handed him a napkin then continued eating her own. It reminded him of the old days ... this time of year, sitting outside in the back by the large pool while eating ice cream. The girl was always happy when she was eating sweets, even happier when it was with the ones she loved. Her 'dad' and 'daddy', her best friend 'Bya-chan', and that doll in her lap.   
  
'Ru-chan ... for your happiness ... I ...'   
  
"Ne?"  
  
"Hmmm?" He turned his head and met her questioning stare towards his hand. Looking over to his ice cream cone ... which no longer two scoops, his eyes followed the wet trail that ran down his arm and into his lap. Byakko decided he didn't like eating ice cream by cone anymore.   
  
"You look tired," she said, handing him more napkins. "I forgot you didn't get any sleep last night."   
  
"It's all right," he yawned. "Besides, you wanted to go out."   
  
"Why don't you go back to the hotel and take a nap?" suggested the violet-eyed girl. "I just want to look around some more."  
  
"Absolutely not!" he shouted, catching the curious gazes of some passerbyers.   
  
"Not after what happened last night," Byakko said as he plucked the melting ice cream scoops off his coat and tossed them into the trash. "No way am I leaving you alone."   
  
"Don't worry," she said. "Besides, they're not meeting today ... and I don't think I'll run into either of them in women's clothing stores. So I'll be fine!"   
  
She had a point but Byakko was still skeptical until she pulled out something from her bag and handed it to him. A paper crane summoning charm ... complete with the neatly written calligraphy on the wings ... it must have took hours to make. Blinking, he took it into is his hands and starred back at her.   
  
"When did you ...?"  
  
"While you were watching television and I was waiting for my hair to dry," she answered. "Go take a nap, and I'll be back at the hotel before the concert, okay?"   
  
Sighing, he took the charm and placed it into his coat pocket as he stood up. Turning around to face the girl he gave her a stern look, "If something does happen, summon immediately, understand?"   
  
"Yes, sir!" she saluted and giggled when he turned around and mumbled something about 'sleeping in the bathtub'.   
  
Still smiling even when he was out of sight, she pulled Veronica into her arms as she headed for one of the shopping centers. "Well, it's just us girls, Ronnie."   
  
Placing Veronica back in her bag, she also made sure she had her new wards neatly stacked and tied together. Ruka reminded herself to replenish her supplies before they began the Queen Camellia mission which she barely read to. How would they be able to sneak on board?   
  
Walking around the crowded shopping mall, the girl felt a twinge of longing as she past by stores that had items she wanted to by. Items like cute stuffed animals, pretty stationary, and music CDs; but, all these items were useless to their mission as Tatsumi shaking his head in disapproval came to mind.   
  
But that didn't mean she couldn't try stuff on! A smile forming on her face again, earning misty-eyed gazes from passing teenaged boys as Ruka headed towards the escalator to the second floor. The second floor of the mall had a lot more clothing stores and a lot less people, much to her liking. She spent a couple minutes in each store, she had to suppress her giggles when she saw the 'new' fashion designs ... the only time she clothes like these before were on old TV shows.   
  
There was one store she walked into that had elegant dresses and only a few customers ... well mainly one, since the other woman was sitting on store's Victorian sofa while sipping some ice tea.   
  
"Mother, what do you think of this one?" asked the young woman who wear some dark sunglasses and had a shawl over her head and around her neck.   
  
"It's lovely, please hurry up," said the older woman in a bored tone. "We're due for lunch soon."  
  
"Yes, mother," said her daughter as she took the selected dress into the fitting room.   
  
"Honestly," the older woman mumbled. "With that dress she looks even more like a slut."   
  
Ruka turned her head away to hide the horror on her face. How could a mother say such a thing about her daughter?! Shaking her head, she was very thankful to have two fathers if that was what a mother acted like. She looked around the store and found a lovely sleeveless Qi Pao, a traditional Chinese women's dress, made of lavender silk and satin with embroidered white lilies. The dress screamed 'try me on!' and Ruka obeyed.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Byakko yawned as he curled up on the bed. But he wasn't napping like he should be. The tiger was torn between taking a nap and watching the charm that was flying around in circles above him. He wondered whether he should try sleeping with one eye open, but doubted he could.   
  
'Ru-chan will be all right,' he told himself as his eye lids began to feel heavy. 'She's a strong girl raised by men ... a Shinigami and a warlock, so she knows how to take care of herself. Remember all those weekends to her God parents taught her martial arts and sword training ... so you don't have to worry about her against muggers ...'   
  
'What about people like Muraki?' said another voice in his head. 'She doesn't have all her strongest wards to use nor all the materials to make them ... she doesn't have any other weapon on her ... and what if Ruka runs into someone who is a higher level in magic than she ... someone like, Muraki?'   
  
"Bloody hell," he moaned as he opened his eyes again. "Damn you, brain, and all your good points."   
  
'Then again ... what are the odds of her meeting Muraki? According to the mission logs, he is currently using Maria Wong to kill for him. So the doctor's past evil self is probably to occupied right now ... he probably forgot about Ruka already.'   
  
Byakko sighed and nodded as he closed his eyes once more. A few minutes of comfortable silence goes by as the tiger slowly falls asleep.  
  
'Then again ...'   
  
"ARGHHH!" he groaned, grabbing a pillow and bringing it over his head.  
  
  
***  
  
Ruka hummed softly as she slipped the dress on before starring at herself in the full length mirror. The dress was beautiful, it reminded her of one of the dresses she had worn on a trip to Hong Kong. But now that dress including everything that had been in her bedroom ... her house ... had burned to the ground. They were ashes now ...   
  
"I woke-and chid my fingers ... the gem was gone in my hands ... and now,  
an Amethyst remembrance is all I own ..."   
  
She wasn't aware that she was singing until she saw her open mouth in the mirror. Blushing, Ruka remembered that there was someone else in the large dressing room and immediately shut up. She turned her attention back to the dress and twirled around in it, watching the lavender silk move with her. Catching the bare flesh of her leg, she slowly brought her hand to touch the nonexistent scratch Muraki's monster had given her.   
  
Ruka was grateful for her daddy's genes as she starred back at her reflection and caught smiling violet eyes. 'Maybe I will buy this dress...' she thought as she spun around in it one more time. 'I can always pay him back.'   
  
Nodding to herself, Ruka slipped out of the dress and placed her other one back on. Picking up her bag with one hand with the dress draped over her arm, she opened the door and forgot to breathe. The young woman who had walked into the dressing room before her now had the sun glasses off, revealing the beautiful face of Maria Wong.   
  
The singer smiled while clapping softly, "You have a beautiful voice."  
  
Ruka blinked ... Maria Wong just complemented her. "Th-Thank you ..."   
  
Maria then looked at her oddly, "Have we met? I have a strange feeling that I've seen you somewhere before ..."   
  
"Well," Ruka smiled. "I am a huge fan of yours."   
  
The dead woman's smile returned, "Thank you, I'm so lucky to have so many wonderful fans."   
  
"I love all your songs! Amethyst Remembrance is my favorite," the violet-eyed girl's smile widened, forgetting that the singer was Muraki's puppet. "I hope you sing it at the concert tonight. I ... I love your songs because of the way you sing them ... for yourself ... and for the happiness of other people."   
  
Maria's brown eyes darkened slightly before brightening as she held out her hand, "Thank you. I probably will sing that song ... I haven't sung it since I ..."   
  
'Since you died,' Ruka gave her a sympathetic look.   
  
"Since I left home," the singer finished. "Pleased to meet you ..."  
  
"Ruka," the girl answered, as she shook hands with the beautiful brunette. "Murasaki Ruka."   
  
"Pleased to meet you, Ruka," the older woman released her hand. "If you don't mind the center stage attention, maybe you would like to sing a duet with me tonight?"  
  
The pretty silver-haired girl blinked as she starred at the singer blankly. Slowly the words sunk in as her puppy ears popped into view, "I can?! Really?!"   
  
Maria laughed, finding her puppy form to adorable. "I don't see why not, you have a very beautiful voice and I ..."  
  
"Maria!" the singer's stepmother snapped as she entered the dressing room. "What are you doing?! We have a lunch to get to and our company is waiting!"   
  
"Yes, of course," Maria bowed her head, brown eyes filled with sorrow. "I apologize mother."   
  
"Don't bother, just come on," the woman then stalked out of the room.   
  
The brunette then turned and bowed slightly to Ruka, "It was nice meeting you, Ruka. I'll look for you in the crowd."   
  
"I'm honored to have met you, Maria," Ruka bowed back politely. "I hope you find peace and happiness soon ..."   
  
'Dammit,' she wished she hadn't said that.   
  
The singer blinked, looking confused before nodding. Ruka watched as Maria walked out the dressing room before turning to get her bag. Turning again to leave the dressing room ... Ruka flinched as she met the mismatched gaze of Maria and her mother's 'company' ...   
  
Muraki Kazutaka.  
  
***  
  
  
When Byakko opened his eyes once more, he yawned lazily and groaned. He had only slept for ten minutes and found himself wanting to get up. Sitting up bed, he brushed fingers through his spikes before he heard his stomach rumble. Sighing, the young man stood up and stretched his limbs before heading towards the table of the hotel room, sitting himself down to eat some left over Chinese food. He was on his second helping of fried prawns when Byakko heard the sound of flapping in his ear. Crimson eyes met the messenger bird and narrowed when it sank it's talon feet into his ear lobe.  
  
"Ittai!" he growled and grabbed the bird out of the air. "If she's in trouble, why didn't you say so?!"  
  
The messenger gave him a beady-eyed stare that said, 'I was trying too!'   
  
Growling again, he released the messenger and placed his boots on. "Let's go then."  
  
  
  
***  
  
Ruka wished she could turn invisible right now as the doctor's attention left Maria's and to her. Heart pounding in her chest, Ruka averted his stare as she headed over to the sales clerk to pay for the dress and leave. Mixed feelings swam through her head. First, there was longing ... longing to see her father in this man. The second, was fear ... she was afraid of him now since the other night ... she didn't want to be, but she was. One way or another, the doctor by day and warlock by night could kill her. Kill her easily without a second thought.   
  
"Why don't you ladies go on ahead," the doctor said behind her to Maria and her mother. "I would be happy to take care of your purchases."  
  
"Thank you, doctor."   
  
'No, no, no, no!' Ruka wanted to scream as she waited for the sales clerk to finish packing up her dress while Maria and her mother left. A shadow loomed over her tense body and she wanted to nothing more than to crawl away. Quickly scribbling her signature down, she was handed back the credit card and Ruka was free to go. Well, not really, since Muraki was right behind her, blocking the girl from leaving.   
  
The sales clerk remembered Maria had ordered shoes to match her outfit and said she would be right back. Alone with a killer, Ruka shivered and the pale man smiled at her nervousness.   
  
"What a coincidence meeting you here," said the doctor. "Murasaki Ruka."  
  
"You remembered my name," she noted.   
  
"Of course," Muraki then starred into her eyes, making her flinch. "It's amazing ... your violet eyes remind me of someone else ..."   
  
'Yes, I know who you're thinking about,' Ruka swallowed.   
  
"Just curious," the pale man tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. "Your full name wouldn't be Tsuzuki Ruka, would it?"   
  
"No, it wouldn't," she shook her head calmly. How did he know about the aunt she never met already? How much did he know about Tsuzuki Asato's past? "I really have to get going now."  
  
"Yes, I assume you Shinigami are here more than to shop and eat desserts," the doctor chuckled.   
  
Her violet eyes narrowed, "I'm not a Shinigami."   
  
"Oh? Not many humans can summon a Shikigami Gods," said the doctor.  
  
Ruka flinched again.   
  
"Especially the White Tiger God of the West," he said, bringing up a hand to push his glass back up the bridge of his nose. "How is Byakko doing?"   
  
"Just fine," came a new voice. "Thanks for asking."   
  
Their heads turned to see a spiky white-haired young man dressed in black clothes, minus his jacket, standing at the store entrance. His sun glasses were off to reveal narrowed crimson catlike eyes. Ruka blinked and saw the ofuda that she gave him, clenched tightly in his hand. Odd ... she didn't remember summoning him.  
  
"Bya-chan," she whispered, moving away from the doctor.   
  
"You're Byakko?" Muraki looked surprised. "The same Tiger God from last night?"   
  
"Yes," Byakko bared his fangs. "And I still have three-headed-monster-bird bits stuck between my teeth to prove it."   
  
Ruka thought she was going to lose her lunch but Muraki only smiled. The sales clerk returned and both Ruka and Byakko left the store, without a second glance at the doctor, to return to the hotel. Ruka was both surprised and relieved that Byakko didn't scold her. Instead as soon as they got into their room, the first thing he did was curl up in bed then promptly fell asleep.   
  
  
***  
  
By the time she changed into her new dress and fixed her hair style, the sky outside was beginning to get dark. Humming to herself, she finished placing her lipstick on before exiting the bathroom to see Byakko snoring softly. Upon hearing his mistress clear her throat, the Tiger God sat up and yawned loudly. He looked at her in the new dress and stared.  
  
"You like?" she asked. "As soon as we return home, I'll be getting a job to pay Uncle Tatsumi back for it."   
  
"You look ...," Byakko searched his vocabulary for words. Unfortunately, all the big words couldn't be found so he settled for something simple. "Really nice."  
  
She smiled as she reached out to brush Veronica's locks, "Sorry we have to leave you alone again, Ronnie. Ready to go, Bya-chan?"  
  
"Ah," Byakko nodded as he got up and put on a clean jacket and then his boots. As he turned around to face her, she was holding up a small dental floss dispenser.   
  
"For monster bits stuck in your teeth," she giggled. "By the way, how could you eat after that?"   
  
"I don't have ...," he began only to stop and see her laugh. 'She is really beautiful when she smiles ...'   
  
Silently he took the floss and headed for the bathroom before his master could see a blush forming on her guardian's face.  
  
They left for the concert and got there rather early in order to get front row seats. There was slight delay that both time-travelers had been expecting. As they waited, both knew that the Shinigami pair was taking care of both the vampire-turned Maria Wong and a confrontation of the dead woman's stepmother.   
  
Ruka found herself frowning as she remembered what she read on this case. How could a parent do such a thing? Using her stepdaughter for money only to the point where Maria committed suicide ... and then it got worse. The evil woman had enlisted the aid of a necromancer so she could continue to leech off Maria even in death. It was disgusting how humans could sink so low.   
  
Her thoughts about the now closed case quickly dispelled as Maria Wong, dressed in a blue silk Chinese dress, stepped up on stage. The audience cheered and the concert began as Maria sang her songs. The singer's voice sounded livelier than Ruka had ever heard it ... and she smiled. All her Maria Wong CDs might have burned to ash, but at least she had this memory of attending the singer's last concert.   
  
Maria Wong was free from both her stepmother and the doctor's grasp, and Ruka was happy for her. She then noticed her guardian wasn't paying attention to the concert and was looking over his shoulder from time to time. Following his gaze, she made out two figures in the far back of the outdoor concert and smiled. She didn't have to see their faces to know who they were.   
  
The audience clapped as Maria finished her song and the singer smiled and bowed. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to sing a duet with a friend of mine in the audience. Ruka, I hope you're here tonight."   
  
Byakko turned his Shinigami-watching eyes over to the girl blushing girl next to him. Maria's beautiful brown eyes scanned the crowd and found Ruka's scarlet face, blushing red like beacon.   
  
"Ah, there you are," the singer pointed out to her. "Come on up, please don't be shy."  
  
Slowly rising to her feet, several pairs of eyes watched the lovely silver-haired girl as she made her way to the stage. Swallowing hard and now smiling nervously, Ruka stepped up on stage next to Maria. The way the stage lights were shining down on them, she felt like an ant underneath a magnifying glass out on a hot sunny day.   
  
A microphone was handed to her, which she took with nervous fingers. Ruka swallowed hard as the background music began to play and the crowd grew silent again. Looking forward to the far back, she could still see the two figures standing there ... also wondering if there was another who was listening. 'Dad ... daddy ... in a way, you're here with me...'   
  
She loosened up a little and pretended to be back in the dressing room, singing to no one but herself. It worked and she could feel her feverish blush and trembling fingers go away. From the audience, Byakko was smiling at her.   
  
  
"I held a Jewel in my fingers  
And went to sleep  
The day was warm,  
Ah winds, winds were prosy  
I said , I said "Twill keep" ..."  
  
  
[ "Daddy," wide and innocent eyes gazed up at him. "Can we listen to the song again? Pretty please?"   
  
Asato smiled as he held out the remote to restart the CD player, "All right, Ru-chan, one more time. Then it's off to bed you go!"   
  
"Yay!" the little girl giggled, happily bouncing on her dad's lap.   
  
The doctor sighed as he tried to make his sugar-crazed daughter to settle down, "And you say I spoil her ..." ]  
  
  
  
"I woke-and chid my fingers,  
The Gem was gone in my hands  
And now,  
an Amethyst remembrance  
Is all I own ..."  
  
  
[ Ruka starred with wide eyes as she took in the smoldering flames of her home. Her school bag fell from limp fingers as fires burned the place she grew up in. With agonizing slowness, she slowly stepped towards the burning house. It wasn't long before she broke off into a run pass the open door way and into the firestorm itself.   
  
"Dad!" she screamed over the roaring flames. "Daddy! Where are you?!"   
  
No response was given and she quickly avoided the scalding heat as she headed towards the living room. Her eyes went wide again as she her parents.   
  
Bloody lifeless bodies were slowly being charred in the flames. Her parents ... were dead ... dead ...  
  
"Dad?" she whispered, looking from one corpse to the other. "Daddy?"   
  
A tall shadow loomed over the girl and Ruka shivered when a cold hand caressed her face. A warm breath touched her ear as the hand slipped to her bare throat, causing goose bumps to rise. She winced as the grip on her throat pulled her back against a lean body.  
  
"Welcome home." ]  
  
  
"Go from me!  
Yet I feel that I shall stand  
Henceforward in thy shadow,  
God From Me!"  
  
  
[ Bruised and bleeding, she clung tightly to Byakko's fur as her guardian took her far away from the fire. Far away from those flames that consumed everything she held close to her. A pocket watch was clenched tightly in her hand and as she wanted desperately to go back and help Tatsumi, Watari, and the other Shinigami. She wanted to go back, but then again she wanted to get as far away from the horrible truth as possible.   
  
Clouds parted to expose the full moon and both Ruka and the Tiger God faded into the light. ]   
  
The song was finally over and the sound of roaring applause pierced through her clouded mind. Before she knew it, Maria had taken her hand the both of them bowed deeply then walked off behind stage together. The roar of applause still ringing in her ears, Maria turned to face her and smiled.   
  
"Thanks for singing with me tonight, Ruka," said the brunette who also gave her a polite bow. "I will always remember it ... and your kind words earlier today."   
  
"I meant them," said the violet-eyed girl. "The spell is going to end soon, isn't it?"  
  
Brown eyes widened in shock, "You ... you know? How ...?"   
  
Ruka's sparking-lavender lip-glossed lips twisted into a grin, "A nice little Shinigami told me."  
  
Maria blinked then nodded in understanding, "I see ... please tell them how eternally grateful I am the next time you see them."   
  
"I will," Ruka mentally added: 'Back in my own time'. "It was an honor to sing with you tonight, Maria."   
  
The singer blushed slightly before she looked up at the moon and shivered, "The moon is red and full tonight ... just like it was that night ..."   
  
"Do you hate him?" Ruka asked hesitantly. "The one who brought you back?"  
  
"I do ...," Maria whispered. "But I am greatful I could sing one more time."  
  
"I know he regrets what he's done," the girl told her. "Not now, but he will."   
  
"I believe you."  
  
The silver-haired girl turned to look at the moon and shivered herself. Her parents would be enemies tomorrow morning ... and she didn't know if she wanted to see them fight. She didn't want to see them bleeding again. A cool night breeze made her shiver once more and the violet-eyed teenager turned to find the singer gone, or returned to the world of the dead.  
  
Ruka smiled sadly as she walked off stage and met Byakko who was silently waiting for her. The Tiger God peeled off his coat and draped it over his master's trembling shoulders. Before he knew it, she was crying in his embrace, tears soaking through the dark fabric of his turtle neck.   
  
"Ru-chan ..." he whispered helplessly. "You knew this was going to happen."   
  
"I know," she whispered as the tears ran down her cheeks. "I just ... I just ..."  
  
"Sshhhhh," he murmured, as he swept his mistress off her feet and into his arms, they then headed back. "It's okay ... it's okay."   
  
Ruka continued to cry quietly as the misty clouds covered the moon again. The moon's light was gone and now there was only darkness. The song was over and now there was only silence. Darkness and silence ... seemed to be all that was left of her world.  
  
  
[ "The Gem was gone in my hands  
And now,  
an Amethyst remembrance  
Is all I own ..." ]  
  
  
[ Author's Note ]  
  
Gosh, this was a long chapter, hope you readers haven't found it boring. Go review and tell me what you think ^_^  
  
  
  



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